He learned his visitor worked for Abmeyer + Wood, a gallery very close to SAM downtown where Stoiber has worked as a registrar since 1991. He didn't expect to hear anything from her again. A couple weeks later he was informed that he was being considered for Sustaining, a group show at Abmeyer + Wood Fine Art in April. There is no way to predict what Artwalk will bring when studio doors are open. Visit Abmeyer + Wood to see Sustaining through April 27 at 1210 2nd Ave, Seattle 98101. BallardWorks is a studio building with artists working in various media. The building is open every second Saturday with a new group show in the 2nd and 3rd floor galleries, and several art studios open for visitors. BallardWorks2856 NW Market St

Christine Olson is Venue’s featured artist for the month of April. Christine studied art from a young age, inspired by her mother and grandmother who were both artists. She was formally trained at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and for the last fifteen years she has been working on mastering non-subjective compositions using acrylic on canvas.

Many of Christine’s new paintings focus on meditation. When Christine paints, she works hard to let go of her present feelings and finds her flow through each piece. Balance with color and composition are important for Christine - the pieces can be hung horizontally or vertically because she is constantly rotating the canvas. The art is non-subjective with some natural elements from nature that do appear.

Her current collection offers some smaller sets of paintings as well as larger pieces. Christine also has greeting cards of her current series and limited edition framed giclee prints on archival quality paper. 10% of all of Christine’s art sales will go to support the Melanoma Research Foundation in Washington, D.C.Venue5402 22nd Ave NW

Just as the spring rain heralds fresh new flowers, the cold of winter encourages artists to cocoon in their studio and produce new work. New concepts, new materials, new dreams and visions, captured and held in place for your viewing in a relaxed and friendly setting.

Let's not forget new artists as well. Amy Hamblin joins the roster, working on the main floor in Spark Studio. Her current work is created from recycled rubber playground balls. These dynamic pieces are wearable art unlike anything else you've seen.

Three floors of art studios and exhibition spaces open for the April Artwalk. Families and kids welcome. Enter through the 1st or 2nd floor doors on 30th Avenue. Includes painting, wearable fiber art, lampworked glass, encaustics, jewelry and print making, all under one roof.

Come experience a vision of altered reality juxtaposing the vastness of space with the diminutive nature of everyday objects! The ridiculous and the sublime come together with balloons and toys floating through the stars and playing with planets! Original pre-edit Jupiter and Saturn background images prior to addition of marble courtesy NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute. Check out Barbara's webpage for more images: http://www.barbaranoah.com/

Three Links Gallery, located in the historic Ballard-Alki Odd Fellows Lodge will be hosting shadow puppeteer group Murderbird Productions for the 2nd Saturday Ballard Art Walk. They will be retelling two Rootabaga Stories by Carl Sandburg. These American fairytales are fun like Dr. Seuss, and is something kids of ALL ages can enjoy. Guaranteed 99% Clown and Clown By-product free. There will be snacks and drink available for kids of all ages.

Doors open at 6pm. "How They Broke Away to Go to the Rootabaga Country" starts at 6:30.---Intermission---"Sand Flat Shadows" will be starting around 7pm.Three Links Gallery1706 NW Market St

Factory vs. Academy, a bookstore/art gallery specializing in indie authors and located in Ballard, is pleased to announce an open house on April 12th. from 6-9 pm, to coincide with the Second Saturday Ballard ArtWalk. The inaugural showcase, Thank You Bezus! A Self-Publishers' First Supper, features a stellar line-up of local and national memoir writers. Each author has been depicted in a mural version of The Last Supper painted by noted artist, Andrew Morrison. Naturally, Jeff Bezos is front and center as Jesus.

Compositions of harmonious color and form are to be found everywhere around us. In the work of Michael Bristow, scraps of throwaway printed ephemera and discarded objects are redeemed and ennobled, given new meaning as elements of form and color. Patterns of synchronicity, significance, and even mysticism are sometimes revealed, perhaps differently to the individual viewer. Each piece, however, is initially inspired by an “accidental” juxtaposition - not created but rather noticed by the artist.

In our age of digitally-created art, Michael Bristow prefers to work with paint, glue, wood, cardboard, and bits of paper and metal scavenged from the streets, beaches, and second-hand stores. He believes that exciting colors and shapes are always surrounding us, waiting to be rescued and made into art that costs little to the environment or to his own wallet." To reach Michael Bristow, email: mbristow@seanet.comEvery two months ICS features a guest artist in the Fellowship Hall (downstairs). Ongoing in the Sanctuary (upstairs) congregant’s communal art, created during spiritual retreats, is featured. Each unique piece has been designed by artist Linda Stern, who guides congregants in the art experience.Interfaith Community Sanctuary1763 NW 62nd St

Stop in at Monster during the April Artwalk to check out up-and-coming artist Jessica Lynn Henry. Her detailed, mixed-media artwork is thoughtful, whimsical and full of creatures and caricatures.

Jessica Lynn Henry hails from a small town just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. Despite her humble beginnings, she's lived all over the world: the outskirts of Paris, a remote jungle in Costa Rica, and now Capitol Hill in Seattle. She enjoys dead languages, palindromes, mismatched patterns, and making art that isn't boring. She gathers inspiration from Mormon folk art, Aleister Crowley, psychedelics, modern street art, Jungian archetypal theory, the relics left behind by ancient civilizations, and sacred geometry. She currently occupies one of the 28 rooms at the INartsNW -- a century old refurbished insane asylum turned art collective.You can also meet Jessica in person and have her personally sign your purchase of her art. Follow Jessica on Instagram @promethea_Our April aerial performer is the talented Jenn Johnson! DJ Jermageddon will get the party rockin' with some rad music, and Monster-ettes Amanda and Liz will be your hosts and keep our yummy snack table well stocked!Monster Art & Clothing5000 20th Ave NW

The Kadampa Meditation Center Washington is happy to join the Ballard Art Walk for the Spring quarter. KMC WA is a Buddhist temple in Ballard and houses many authentic statues and images of various Buddhist deities, including an 8 foot statue of Buddha Shakyamuni finished in real gold. We will have members of our community available to help visitors understand the symbolism and meaning of the statues and images as well as the process of producing this sacred art. This is sure to be a fun and inspiring evening for everyone as the beauty of Buddhist art is revealed.

Brandon Vosika is a painter, collage artist, ex musician and amateur voice actor, who also works with wood.

Vosika recently moved forward from his most well known collection of work, an enormous four year series consisting of hundreds of drunken portrait paintings. Ridiculous yet skilled, the collection showed mostly imagined people, characters made up from the heart, evocative and alive. Now, after a short hiatus and a great deal of thinking, Vosika has returned to the collection. Adding to old works, creating new ones and generally speaking, enjoying almost every minute of it.

Because Vosika works much from instinct and feeling, the conciseness of his technique can sometimes be difficult to understand. It could be the parts added without thought, last minute, or the small details that mean everything. And there's certainly plenty to look at. Viewers tend to hold onto and take away different sentiments from the same works. There are manifold layers of meaning here and whether intentional or not, humor plays a large part is this series. The people in these paintings are strange and engaging, and full of life. They exist to be seen and to be felt. Brandon Vosika is a self taught artist currently living and working in Seattle.Annie's Art & Frame2212 NW Market St

Jeremy Eaton will be the featured artist at Full Tilt for the April Artwalk. Jeremy is a Ballard painter known for his acrylic on re-purposed wood creations inspired by classic comic book imagery, harkening back to a bygone era when four-color printing and rapid-fire publishing offered spinning racks of candy-hued periodicals, a literal carnival of high pulp drama, mystery, horror, super heroic action and humor.

The artists of 54th St Atelier will be curating two shows every month for the Ballard branch of Umpqua Bank. For the month of April, the Gallery show will be "City Seens and Country Seens" by Ray Pelley (he intends the spelling "seens"). A series of paintings juxtaposing scenes from the natural and urban environments: exposing the complexity of the human condition in contrast to the complexity of the natural environment.

Anima Mundi worldwise design is pleased to welcome artist José E. Montaño, a genuinely inspired visual conceptualist. José is a Ballard native and has designed many award-winning, stylistically innovative projects, including commercials, music videos, and live events. In 1991 he won the MTV Award for Best Art Direction for R.E.M.’s Music Video ‘Losing My Religion’.

On view at Anima Mundi this spring will be Jose's original oils, framed giclee prints and handpainted silk scarves.

The primary motivation for José's paintings is to inspire others to view life from multiple cultural optics. As he has worked professionally as a Production Designer for the entertainment and advertising industries, he is very aware of the narrow ideological focus of content produced for mass media. He works from a genuinely multi-cultural perspective with a global audience in mind.

José was born in Seattle, and was raised here and in Europe. His late father, the late architect José Duran Montaño, was from La Paz Bolivia and his mother is Swedish American. After Graduating from the American School in London he attended The San Francisco Art Institute where he received a Master of Fine Arts.

Several years ago José returned to live in his family home in Magnolia and is once again enjoying being a part of the local Ballard community.

Artists all started with the same mission: To bring new life to the discarded. From that beginning, they have woven, painted, hammered, and sewn to create original works.

"Movement No. 37" by Bret Lyon

"Godiva" by Jennifer Kuhns

The pieces range from the whimsical to the sophisticated, intricate to bold, folk art to modern craft to domestic handicraft. It is an entertaining collection all based on the concept that inspiration is where you find it.There will be an opening reception as part of the Ballard Artwalk on Saturday April 12, 6-9pm. The exhibit will be on display through May 7th. Blowing Sands Studio/Laura Frost Gallery5805 14th Ave NW